


Assumptions

by tattooedrose



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstanding, OT5, and light shiall but only from niall's end, but that doesn't really play into it that much, could be heavy angst ig, everyone is buds, harry loves puns, i think maybe?, niall's bond impression (mentioned), not sure how to rate angst, specifically dumb ones, that's where i'm stopping i don't want the tags to be longer than the fic, there's some light ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 16:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15689307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattooedrose/pseuds/tattooedrose
Summary: Harry and Louis have a mispunderstandingorHarry makes a bad pun, Niam (platonic) tries to fix the aftermath





	Assumptions

**Author's Note:**

> okay so this was all inspired by one pun which I won't ruin for you but I tried to form a plot around it and i'm not sure if i fully did but i at least kind of did and that's what you're gonna read.
> 
> this was beta'd by the loml Becca who is softheartedh on tumblr if you want to give her some love, she deserves it
> 
> and yeah that's it hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> (also i've never met neal henry lewis lamb or zen so this is in no way written with the intent of being fully accurate representations of them)

“I’m proper knackered.” Louis yawned, moving to get up from his chair before giving up and dropping his gaze to the table with a sigh. He’d been studying for three hours and it was getting to be too much, even if the company was, well, very nice. The company’s large, ringed hand found its way to his hair and started gently running through the snarls that had accumulated over the day. 

“How ‘bout we get you to bed then babe? Don’t want you falling asleep on me love.” a deep, slow voice rumbled. 

“If you keep talking Harold, the exhaustion won’t even be what gets me. I’ll be in danger of falling asleep from boredom.” Came a half whispered, snarky reply. 

Harry gasped, not bothering to keep a grin off his face. ”Fine then, guess I won’t carry you back to your dorm.” 

He startled as his hand was jolted into his lap. Louis stared at him, betrayal clear on his face. 

“I thought you loved me, you dick.”

“And I thought you were tired, princess.” 

Louis’ blue eyes flamed. “Fine.” Grabbing his books, he pushed out of his chair and after a glare sent in his lanky companion’s direction, strode in the direction of the library’s exit. Weaving through bookshelves and around tables, he reached the stairs and started down, the sound of a heavier footstep echoing not soon after. As tired and grumpy as he was, Louis still found it in him to be relieved that Harry was coming back with him. He got worried when his baby had to walk alone across campus, even though he knew Harry could take care of himself. As he passed the stairs now, he continued towards the door and when he reached it, turned around to wait for Harry to catch up to him.

His eyes should’ve met Harry’s. Or perhaps Harry’s chin. Tall prick. Instead they caught Harry’s forehead before meeting a half-guilty, half-lewd green gaze as his eyes flicked upwards.

Louis gasped, amused and maybe preening just a little. 

“Haz, were you checking out my arse?” He said, with a dramatic tone and fanning hand.

Harry grinned, paused minutely, and then replied. “Why are you making such rude  _ ass _ umptions about me?I’m just a pure country gal.” He gave a sweet grin, followed by a couple eyelash flutters.

Louis nearly missed it. He almost let himself get distracted by doe eyes, an adorable face. He almost didn’t hear the slight emphasis on the  _ ass _ in assumptions. He almost passed over what was possibly the worst pun in the history of puns. But, alas, he didn’t.

  
  
  
  
  


“Hey H, where’s Lou? He normally comes to lunch with you doesn’t he?” Liam plopped down next to Harry, his gym bag carrying items only know to that higher tier of almost aggressively athletic human falling beside him. 

Harry glanced up from the table where his gaze had previously been fixated and chuckled, bitter in his tone and accompanying facial expression. “Yeah, well  _ normally  _ Lima he hasn’t broken up with me.” His eyes went back down, too apathetic to stay up for long. 

“BROKEN UP?????”

“Fuck Niall, why don’t you let the whole school know? Thanks. Love you too bro.” Looking up begrudgingly from his tray, Harry’s eyes met Nialls, and then fell to his mouth. “Mate, really. Can you close that? There are at least five chicken nuggets in there.”

“They’re called nugs actually.” Niall said as he straightened up, pompous and regal, and speaking through bits of half chewed chicken. He returned to his slumped position and the previous topic. “What happened with you and Lou though, petal? I thought things were going great?”

“They were going great. They still should be going great.” Harry’s pout took up his entire face.

Liam looked over at Niall, then realized it was Harry who would have the answers and scooted closer to him. Glancing at Niall one more time, he turned to address Harry.

“So then, what happened?” His eyes had grown twice their normal size in concern. “Do you need me to -” He gestured with clenched fists, swinging them around haphazardly. “I will, you know. I’ve been taking boxing classes and everything, I’m proper good at it.”

Harry groaned. “I appreciate it Liam, but there will be no boxing or fighting of any type needed. It was just.” Stopping he looked up to the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. 

Niall’s voice was soft and firm as he prompted him. 

“It was just what Haz?”

“ItwasjustthatImadeadumbpunandhesaidhecouldn’tdatemeanymore.”

Niall and Liam made confused eye contact before registering what Harry had said. 

“You made a dumb pun.” Liam repeated slowly. “And he said he couldn’t date you anymore.”

Half way through the sentence Niall’s semi-contained laughter turned into a combination uncontrollable gasping and snorting. 

“You’re fucking with me Haz. There’s no way Harry ‘voted most charming in high school’ Styles just lost a man cause of a pun.”

“It was supposed to be quirky and cute…And a joke. We’ve been dating for 3 months officially and you all know what happened before to get us to date. Shouldn’t we be at a point where I’m able to make a joke?” Harry’s protests were barely audible over Niall’s continued wheezing.

He looked up, face red from laughter and wet from tears. “Mate, this is the funniest shit I’ve heard. I almost want it to be true, but you’re right. I don’t think Lou would do that to you, are you sure he wasn’t joking?”

Harry glared at him.

“Yes, Horan. I am 100% sure he wasn’t joking. Or do you think you know more than me? ‘Cause mate, I hate to say it, but one Psychology course does not make you psychic... despite the name.”

Niall opened his mouth, maybe to defend his cherished psychology credits, maybe to apologize, but he was cut off by Liam.

“Okay H, it’s gonna be okay, why don’t you tell us what happened after the uh,” He paused, eyes flicking to Niall and then down as he succeeded in hiding a laugh. “ after the pun?”

Sighing, Harry started an explanation. “ Well when the uh, pun, erm registered with him he kinda glared at me, well after looking shocked and disbelieving, then he told me he was over my shit. He walked me back to my dorm, but every time I tried to talk to him, he would tell me to stop talking. He didn’t want to hear another word and I thought he was joking, ‘cause ya know he’d smirk when he said it. But then, he didn’t respond to my goodnight text last night, and then this morning, he didn’t come over to meet me for breakfast. He hasn’t messaged me anything since asking me to study with him yesterday. And I got a text from Zayn this morning saying, ‘Don’t expect to be seeing or hearing from Louis for a bit. If you try to contact him, he won’t respond’’  which I didn’t respond to, but I think it was pretty clear.”

Liam went to comment, moving his hand towards Harry’s but pulled away as Harry continued, spilling out a rambled string of the worries that had been spinning around his head.

“I just, you know how protective Zayn and Louis are over each other and this has to be because Zayn knows Louis hates me. It’s got to be. And it doesn’t seem like Louis to not say something to me directly but at the same time I know Zayn would tell him to stay away after getting hurt. Though, I don’t know how I could’ve hurt him, it was just a pun,” While saying the last sentence, his voice cracked a little. “Just a single dumb pun. And it’s cost me the best thing I’ve ever had.”

Niall and Liam looked at each other, eyes communicating silently as Harry’s head dropped onto his arms, resting on the table.

‘ _ Shit maybe I shouldn’t have laughed’   _ Said Niall’s wide eyes, and a twitch that looked like remorse.

‘ _ You fucking think Horan?’  _ Said Liam’s brown eyes, narrowed and reproachful.

‘ _ Actually, Payno, I think the problem was that I didn’t think’  _ The eyes didn’t change much, but a smirk spoke for them. It collapsed within moments though, sobering at the sight of slightly shaking shoulders hunched behind a head of curly hair. A tentative hand moved towards them, softly coming down to rub circles between shoulder blades.

The men’s eyes connected once more.

This time they both were asking the same thing:  _ What do we do? _

They didn’t have time to figure anything out. Moving slowly but purposefully, Harry stood up, causing Liam’s hand to fall away from his shoulder. Without a word, he ambled out of the cafeteria, slumped and truthfully looking vaguely turtlesque. 

“We need to do something.” Liam and Niall both looked in the direction that Harry had disappeared in. “I know Louis wouldn’t break up with him over this. He wouldn’t. But if Harry can’t see that --”

“--We have to make him!” Niall jumped out of his seat and struck a pose. “Come on, Robin!”

“Oh sure. You’re Batman. You clearly don’t even know what Batman does. And even if you did, have you read his comics? Do you own two collectors editions? Can you recite all his dialogue in every film by heart? Have  _ you _ been a superhero for every Halloween since your mum stopped putting you in a pumpkin costume?” Liam’s grumbles followed them out of the cafeteria. “Where are we even going Niall?” He asked at a normal volume after his complaints were ignored. 

There were a good couple feet between them. Niall, walking briskly, had started to lengthen the distance between them. It was maybe possible that he hadn’t heard Liam’s question. But that wasn’t why he didn’t respond; Niall had impeccably good hearing when he wanted to a skill honed by a need to know any important details, as he called them, gossip, as everyone else called it.

A sigh traveled the space between them, and then the sound of an exasperated voice saying, “Niall? Niall!”

Niall stopped and Liam hurried to make up the distance between them. Before he could reach Niall’s side, the man turned to face him then, making motions as though he was swooshing an imaginary cape, turned back towards the other direction. 

Liam stopped in his place, an expression of disbelief taking over his features. 

“Batman?”

Niall wheeled around. “What do you want, Robin? Gotham needs me.” His voice was deeper, darker, and distinctly not the american that the impression should have been. 

Liam didn’t respond, just frowned.

Returning to his normal, higher pitched, but still Irish voice, Niall groaned. “C’mon Payno I need to work on my impressions, can I at least be James Bond and you can be my Bond girl?”

Liam looked tempted but still didn’t respond.

“We’re going to Zayn’s and I hope yer fecking happy.”

Niall went to stomp off but was pulled back by Liam.

“Niall. Zayn’s is also Louis’ you realize that, right mate?”

Niall paused. Shrugged. “I don’t see that that makes a difference. I could do with a chat with him as well.”

This time his shoulder wasn’t grabbed as he turned and started once again in the direction of the west side dorms. Liam kept back for a couple seconds before jogging up to walk next to Niall. They didn’t talk, but they didn’t need to - the purpose of their journey speaking louder than words: they were fixing a love story. 

 

It didn’t speak louder than humming though. 

“Hmm hmm hm hmmm hmmmm hmm hm hm hm hm hmmmm hmmm”

Liam glanced sideways, raised his eyebrows. 

“‘S a catchy song. Shawn’s good.”  
“Stitches? Right now?”

“Good point. I’ll do Lost in Japan.”

Liam nodded his approval and they continued walking, but this time in time to Niall’s hums and occasional claps. A breeze danced over them, the same breeze that was twisting through Harry’s hair as he sat in the courtyard that the university centered around, under the tree where he’d snogged Louis on their way home from a party. They’d both thought the other had forgotten, but neither had. Now Harry was close to wishing he could forget.

Liam was wishing Niall wouldn’t forget. They had almost missed the turn to the front of hall that Zayn and Louis’ dorm was in. Niall had been preoccupied with his humming of yet another song. Liam assumed it was a Shawn song; after his performance of Lost in Japan, Niall had moved on to what sounded like Treat You Better and this new song probably hadn’t broken the trend. Harry had mentioned that Niall had just got a new poster in the mail and Liam suspected that Niall’s infatuation wasn’t just with the music. He didn’t want to interrupt any daydreaming that was happening, fully supportive of love no matter how superficial but in a battle of Niall and Shawn and Louis and Harry, Louis and Harry took priority. At least while they were broken up. When they were together they prioritized each other enough that no one else needed to help. 

“Focus, Niall. We’re on a mission, it’s game face time.”

Niall blinked, breaking out of his humming trance, and nodded, putting on an intimidating face.

“Let’s go.”

They entered the hall, and jogged up two flights of stairs before getting to the floor that had dorm 369, navigating their way to it, and then pass it to 372. Louis and Zayn still complained that they’d gotten cheated. 

Liam looked at Niall and Niall looked back at Liam.

“Alright,” Liam breathed out, nervous but eager. “Are you gonna --”

“Oi, Z, you in there?” Niall called out, as Liam looked at him, annoyed.

Before Niall could get reprimanded for not having a plan, Zayn was answering Niall. 

“Is Harry with you? If you don’t tell him to go away, I’m coming out there to do it myself.”

Niall and Liam made meaningful eye contact.

“Nope, just me and Liam, mate!”

The door opened, and Zayn slouched into view. 

“Thank fuck, I don’t think I could have held Louis back if Harry had been here. He’s been wanting to go after him all day.” Gesturing with his head he let them inside. “C’mon in we’re having a lad’s night. Well... day really. I told him 24 hours with me, no Harry allowed, and then he can do whatever the fuck he wants. But I’ve got his phone and he’s on house arrest, and I swear if Harry shows up here I will do whatever it takes to get him to go.”

Niall and Liam exchanged glances for what seemed to be the millionth time that day.

It was Liam who broke the silence that had gone unnoticed by Zayn.

“So. It’s true.” he said, only relishing the drama of it a little.

Zayn looked back from where he’d been heading towards Louis’ room.

“What’s true Li? If there are rumours that I’m holding Lou hostage than yes it’s true.”

Liam went to respond but before he could Louis skipped into the room, and draped himself on Zayn’s back. 

“You’ve got to help me, he won’t let me leave.” Louis was smirking as he pleaded with Niall and Liam. 

“Shut up, Lou. If you’re planning on fake crying again, take a moment to remember that there’s a reason why you haven’t acted since Grease.”

Louis sniffed. “That’s what you think. I’ll have you know that Haz very much likes --”

Before he could finish, Niall snapped. 

“No. You don’t get to say that. It’s bad enough that you’re standing here joking with Zayn; you don’t get to do what you did to him and then call him a nickname. That’s for people who care about him, which you clearly don’t.”

Louis’ face went white. “What the fuck do you mean Niall? What the fuck are you saying?”

Niall snorted, looking at Louis with disdain. “Can’t even own up to it, eh, Lou? Ya know, Li and I didn’t believe it at first, we were here to help you out, to try to fix things. But you’ve really got Zayn here doing your dirty work, breaking Harry’s heart. Won’t send him so much as a text. And then you pretend like nothing is happening. Typical man.” 

Louis looked like a ghost, and when he turned his gaze to Zayn he looked ready to turn someone into one. “Give me my fucking phone Z. Right now.”

As Zayn did what Louis asked, moving into the kitchen, grabbing a chair and reaching above the cupboards to grab his phone, the other two looked on in confusion. No one seemed to be wanting to give an explanation though. It was only after Louis had sent a frantic ‘baby I love you so much, please can you come to Zayn’s room? i think we need to talk’ to Harry that the silence was broken. None of the words that replaced it were distinguishable enough to have any meaning. “What the fuck is happening” seemed to be the only common thread, from what little could actually be understood in the chaos and confusion. An interjection from Zayn, who’d been contributing the least, got everyone to settle down, and not wanting to have to decipher everything a second time they decided to talk when Harry was there. 

Already too tired to move much, they sat on the floor, legs sprawled and heads down. They didn’t change positions until a knock on the door signaled Harry’s arrival, resulting in everyone else jumping or shitting themselves as the rap broke the quiet. 

Niall was the one to let him in. Louis was the one to start talking.

“Haz I don’t know what happened while Zayn had my phone, but I love you and I would never want to hurt you..” He looked at him beseechingly. “I’m not sure what I did wrong, but please forgive me?”

His face already conveying his confusion, Niall drew in a breath. Before he could form it into words, though, Liam’s hand was over his mouth. Harry filled the next moment with his words instead.

“What? Lou I was coming here to apologize to  _ you _ . And yeah maybe I’d had part of my speech planned as yelling, because who breaks up with someone over a pun, but don’t make it sound like I was mad. You were the one who was ignoring me. Right?” His voice trailed off into a couple nervous laughs that were covered by Zayn. 

“H, he wasn’t ignoring you. Or he was, but I was making him. He’s constantly with you, whipped tosser, so I kidnapped him for a lads’ day where he wasn’t allowed to talk to you or anything. I sent you the text to let you know what was happening, but if I’d let him have his phone he would’ve been smiling all day about whatever you’d said to him instead of smiling about having a best mate who puts up with him, so that’s why he wasn’t responding. Don’t know anything about a pun though.”

Louis started snickering. “Babe, you thought I broke up with you over the pun? Is this you finally admitting that they’re shit and not the top tier humour you pretend they are?”

Harry pouted, but couldn’t hold down a smile, ending up with the happiest pout anyone there had seen. “Fuck off Lou, or I might be the one doing the breaking up.” 

“Come here, love.”

They hugged each other for a couple moments, but then the hugging turned into kissing and the kissing turned into stumbling towards Louis’ room and Zayn hurriedly was shoving Niall and Liam out of the door before following them and locking it behind them.

“This is why I needed a fucking lads’ day.” He muttered to himself before turning to the other two boys. “I’m going out for a smoke, you lads coming?” 

Niall looked at the way Liam’s eyes had gone slightly wide at the idea of Zayn smoking, then looked back at Zayn. 

“You two go ahead, I have a poster to put up.”

He fist bumped Liam as he headed toward the stairs, a grin emerging on his face at a successful day of saving a relationship then fading moments later at what could’ve been the sound of a headboard banging against a wall.

He sped up just in case it was. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, drop me a comment if you feel inspired to, drop me kudos if a comment is too much effort; both of them make me happy. ig you could just leave only having read it but where's the fun in that (karma is real and she is watching. she sees when you do nice things. and when you don't.) (fr though no pressure to do anything, just by reading this you have a place in my heart)
> 
> s/out and massive thanks to Becca, once again she's @softheartedh on tumblr
> 
> if you want to find me on tumblr i'm probably @missingharold, not sure there's much you'd want to talk to me about given that this is only 3k but i love anons and messages and asks and just talking to people in general so if you want to say hi or even fuck you your writing is shit please do :)


End file.
